Question 19(Multiple Choice Worth
(HC)The quote below comes from the Supreme Court ruling in Gideon v. Wainwright (1963):
The right of one charged with crime to counsel may not be deemed fundamental and essential to fair trials in some countries, but it is in ours. From the very beginning, our state
and national constitutions and laws have laid great emphasis on procedural and substantive safeguards designed to assure fair trials before impartial tribunals in which every
defendant stands equal before the law.
Source: http://www.law.cornell.edu/supct/html/historics/USSC_CR_0372_0335_ZO.html
In what way did this ruling produce a fundamental change in the United States?
O It resulted in the rewriting of numerous state constitutions.
O It had the potential to free thousands of prisoners across the nation.
O It required the establishment of a nationwide system of public defenders.
O It made it much more difficult for police to obtain evidence of criminal activity.